During a so-called family meeting, my dad calmly announced he was “giving” my downtown apartment to my pregnant sister-in-law. He didn’t

That one word nearly made me laugh.

He folded his hands behind his back. “Eric and Shannon are expecting their first child. Their current one-bedroom is too small. Meanwhile, Cassie, you have two bedrooms all to yourself.”

I placed my coffee on the table carefully because my fingers were starting to shake.

“I use the second bedroom as my office,” I said. “I work from home three days a week.”

“You can work from a coffee shop,” Mom said quickly, as if she had solved everything. “Young people do that all the time.”

“I manage a team,” I answered. “I take private calls. I need a quiet space.”

Dad talked over me. “Eric has a family starting. The apartment makes more sense for them. We’ve decided you’ll move out by the end of the month. Four weeks should be enough time to find somewhere else.”

For a moment, the words didn’t feel real. They sounded like something happening to someone else.

“You’ve decided?” I repeated.

“The family has decided,” Dad corrected. “We have to think about what’s best for everyone.”

Eric finally stopped pacing and leaned against the mantel with that smug little expression I hated.

“Come on, Cass. Don’t make this hard.”

My head turned toward him.

“Hard?”

“You’re single. No kids. Good job,” he said, counting each reason on his fingers like evidence. “You can rent anywhere. Shannon and I need a nursery, and we can’t afford market price for a two-bedroom.”

“And I can?” I asked.

Shannon’s face flushed. “You make more than we do. Eric told me about your salary. You’re doing fine.”

My jaw clenched.

Eric had never asked what I made. I had never told him. The idea that he and Shannon had sat around discussing my income like it was family property made heat rush through my chest.

“My finances are not a family topic,” I said carefully.

“When family resources are involved, they are,” Dad snapped. “The apartment belongs to the family trust. Your grandfather wanted it used for family needs. Right now, Eric and Shannon need it more.”

“Did anyone actually read what Grandpa wrote in the trust documents?” I asked.